Peeple is a charity, whose main purpose is to support parents/carers, babies and children to learn together and improve children's outcomes, by valuing and building on what families already do. Peep practitioners and families share information and ideas from our evidence-based Peep Learning Together Programme about how to make the most of the learning and play opportunities that surround us in everyday life. Research shows that this - known as the home learning environment - makes the biggest contribution to narrowing the gap in children's outcomes. We want to share these messages as widely as possible. So, as well as working directly with families in Oxfordshire, we train practitioners around the UK, Ireland and Australia. All our work is underpinned by the Peep principles and the ORIM framework.

>  Click here to watch our 4-minute 'What is Peep?' video, and hear the views of Peep practitioners and parents

training practitioners

We train and support about 1000 practitioners every year. The Peep Learning Together Programme and the Peep Antenatal Programme are used by early years and family support professionals to help parents create the best start for their children by listening, talking, playing, singing and sharing books and stories together. Practitioners come from a range of backgrounds including family work, education and childcare, and health. You can read more about the variety of ways that people are using Peep Programmes.

programme delivery with families

We are also a delivery organisation, based in Oxford, where we work directly with local families. Some of this work is commissioned by our partners in the area, and some is funded to develop innovative ways of supporting parents and children to learn together. In 2018 we opened our Little Peeple Nursery, next to the Peeple Centre in south Oxford, incorporating our Peep Pre-school which opened in 2015. We have a Peeple base in Edinburgh, where we are supported by the Scottish Government to grow our work in Scotland and to develop parent qualifications and progression.

We are involved in research through the evaluation of our programmes and projects, and we work to influence policy both locally and nationally.

>  Download our Peep Learning Together Overview leaflet.

Read more about Peep delivery around the country in our case studies.

Little Peeple Nursery follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles and guidance. The EYFS was produced by the government and early years professionals, to be used by all childcare or early education providers, including nurseries, pre-schools and child-minders.

There are seven areas of learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Every area of development is equally important. The three prime areas are personal, social and emotional development, communication and language, and physical development. There are four specific areas in which the prime skills are applied: literacy, maths, expressive arts and design, and understanding the world. Stages of development are more important than ages.

Click on any of the links below to read more about how we put the EYFS principles into practice:

Our antenatal programme supports expectant parents (mums and dads) to:

• think about their baby, tune in to their baby's feelings and respond sensitively (also known as reflective function),
• understand the importance of sensitive parenting to developing a loving, consistent and secure attachment,
• become more aware of the social and emotional aspects of the transition to parenthood,
• manage their own (sometimes difficult) feelings that are aroused by a new baby,
• understand how to support their baby's early learning and brain development,
• meet other expectant or new parents and develop a supportive network group, and engage with other local services,
• reduce the risk to the early parent–infant relationship (by helping to prevent, for example, isolation, anxiety and low-level depression).

These things help parent-baby bonding and attachment. Research indicates that strong relationships enhance parents' confidence and self-esteem. They also contribute to better outcomes for the child in terms of their cognitive development (learning and understanding), the relationships they build, and their resilience to cope if life gets tough.

peep antenatal training - for practitioners

Our 1-day Peep Antenatal training equips practitioners with the knowledge, practical skills and resources to deliver the Peep Antenatal Programme. As the Covid pandemic has highlighted, early intervention plays a crucial role in supporting families at such a life-changing time.

feedback from parents-to-be

'I found out lots about what baby gets up to inside my belly'

'We learned how to help our baby to learn and what to expect, and how important it is to interact with baby before she’s even here'

'I enjoyed making baby’s first book, meeting other mums to be, sharing stories’

'Since coming to Peep Antenatal I massage my tummy, sing songs and talk to her'

'I was surprised and pleased to find out that my baby is a lot brighter than I thought'

using the antenatal programme with expectant parents

The Peep Antenatal Programme can be used perinatally - during pregnancy (from 28+ weeks is recommended) to the early weeks following birth. It can be used for a flexible number of sessions, including one-to-one with parent/s and baby in the home or in other settings, or in groups.

programme development

Our antenatal programme for families, and the training for practitioners, were developed with Professor Jane Barlow and colleagues at the University of Warwick Medical School. It was originally known as Peep Reflective Parenting. All Peep Programme delivery is underpinned by our principles.

> Download our Peep Antenatal Programme & Training leaflet or find out about our next Antenatal Training dates.

We are working with Action for Children on a two-year project working with child-minders in Oxfordshire and around the country.

The aim of the project is to improve outcomes for children, through training and supporting child-minders:

• to use the Peep Learning Together programme in their work directly with children and
• to share elements of the programme with parents.

The project is being funded by the Department of Education.

We have been working in partnership with the NHS to carry out a three year project (commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council) to develop and deliver high quality support for early language development from birth to four.

The purpose of the work is to enhance the life chances of children by improving their communication and language skills.

With speech and language therapists across the county, we now provide a menu of interventions which combine the strengths of both our organisations, add value to what we can offer, and avoid duplication.

The Early Language Support programme combines targeted and universal services which:

• work preventatively with families from the earliest weeks of their child’s life
• work with and through parents, supporting them as their child’s first and most significant educator
• provide specialised speech and language support where needed
• improve access to families who may be hard to reach
• train practitioners in early years settings
• embed training into practice.

> Read more in an article from the Public Services Review